Lytham, England – After having 24 hours of the worst of our British summertime weather resulting in Friday night’s festival performance by Alanis Morrissette being cancelled due to high winds, there was a slightly anxious feeling around the area as to whether the TK Maxx Presents Lytham Festival’s penultimate performer Justin Timberlake’s Saturday evening show would go ahead. Thankfully clearer and calmer skies prevailed on the day and the event kicked off with sets from CTRL, Dagny and Jess Glynne, who delivered a stand-out performance which could have stood her as a headlining act in her own right. She sang hit after hit during her 1 hour set, and it was emotional for the singer, who confided that her mother is very ill. It was clearly tough for her to sing some of her more personal songs, especially “Take Me Home”, but the crowd took over when she had the occasional difficult moment. She ended her show with the anthemic and uplifting “Hold My Hand” which is the very definition of a summer holiday song, and she left us all eager for the night’s main act.
Justin Timberlake’s arrival on stage was announced by the loudest bass I’ve ever experienced (and literally felt), and as he swung straight in to “Mirrors” the audience was clearly in for an hour and forty minutes of pure pop perfection. One of the biggest names ever to perform at the festival, he and his band The Tennessee Kings were as flawless as always and are quite possibly the modern day answer to the Motown acts of old with their tight sound and choreographed moves. The walkway protruding from the stage allowed the band to follow Justin out and into the crowd and added an extra element of excitement to the performance. Justin segued into “Cry Me a River”, and as the crowd sang along the sound suddenly cut out completely, whilst he and the band were completely unaware due to their in-ear monitors and continued to perform. It didn’t put off the audience, and they carried the song through to the end, determined to keep the vibe going. There was a slight delay whilst the audio issue was resolved, and as JT came back on stage he announced that England must party so hard that we blew the PA system.
Without missing a beat, the show continued with “No Angels”, and from there we were treated to a stream of classics such as “Señorita”, “Suit & Tie” and “Rock Your Body”. A mash-up with N.E.R.D’s “She Wants to Move” during “Like I Love You” was incredible, as well as performing some covers and collaborations – “Holy Grail” and “4 Minutes” being unexpected treasures. Justin showed us he still has all the moves, dancing with his band and backing singers all night. It was a slick, polished show and it was clear to everyone that he was having a ball all evening, and his constant appreciation and love for his band and singers was genuinely felt. With the sun setting behind him on stage, he finished with a storming rendition of “SexyBack”, temporarily leaving the stage to screams for an encore. He obliged with “Until The End of Time”, playing on a piano which had been moved to the end of the walkway and ending a sensory blast of a set with a more intimate moment with the crowd. Thanking everyone profusely once again for the love shown to him and the band, he left the stage and the crowd at Lytham on a high.
TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival returns on 1st – 5th July 2026
Jess Glynne
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Justin Timberlake
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SETLIST:
1: Mirrors
2: Cry Me A River
3: No Angels
4: LoveStoned
5: Like I Love You
6: My Love
7: Sexy Ladies
8: Play
9: Señorita
10: Summer Love
11: Suit & Tie
12: Rock Your Body
13: CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!
14: Selfish
15: What Goes Around…
16: Holy Grail
17: TKO
18: Ayo Technology/Chop Me Up/Give It To Me/4 Minutes
19: Let The Groove Get In
20: SexyBack
21: Until The End Of Time
